Translation
Ordinance for the punishment of persons spreading false reports and revoking rights and privileges as citizens of those who have left the city
The director-general and council of New Netherland, to all those who see or hear this
read, greetings. Let it be known:
Whereas we have been reliably informed that
some among our subjects once again, as last year, have taken up and circulated false,
spurious and self-contrived rumors, dishonoring the high administration of this
province and Netherlandic nation; namely, that some members of the high council
together with some Dutch inhabitants were to have hired and incited some Frenchmen
and Indians to massacre and plunder the English people residing among us; which
circulated rumor, although false, unchristian and completely without foundation, was,
nevertheless, disseminated so obstinately and impudently by some (mostly English
refugees from New England) in order to incite greater turmoil among the good
inhabitants; and in order to give more credence to their lies, they abandoned their
houses and plantations, most of them going to the village of Gravesande, where some
robbers, bandits and pirates have banded together and quartered themselves for some
time now, among them being Samuel Brocquet, the leader and bandit who stole the
horses. Therefore, for reasons best known to themselves, the director-general and
council find themselves duty-bound and constrained, for their own vindication and the
maximum security possible for their inhabitants, hereby to order, command and direct
all their schouts, officers and magistrates of the respective villages and
settlements of this province to apprehend and to deliver before us here, in the most
secure way possible, not only the initiators and disseminators of these false,
spurious self-contrived rumors, but also those who pass them on to others, whether
they be fourth, fifth or sixth hand, so that thereby not only the turmoil may be
halted, but also, if possible, through examination and arrest, the initiators may be
discovered and duly punished as an example to others. And in order to prevent in the
future such turmoil among the good and well-affected [ inhabitants ], the director-general and council hereby declare all
persons, of whatever nation or rank they may be, who by reason of such false,
injurious and forged reports have fled from or abandoned their property, without
making inquiry, as is duty-bound, of the director-general and high council or
inferior magistrates concerning the same, to be deprived of their rights of
citizenship[99] and
abandoned lands, unless the persons who have run away, do, within 24 hours after the
publication hereof, return with their families and all their removed furniture and
livestock to their abandoned lands, whether they moved or fled to the village of
Gravesande near the pirates or elsewhere. Furthermore, if anyone can furnish definite
proof and information of the person or persons who may have forged and circulated
such fake, slanderous and unchristian lies and deliver them into the hands of
justice, he shall receive a reward of 300 guilders, with the promise of the first
office for which he may be qualified. Thus done at the session of the
director-general and council of New Netherland, 11 July 1654, New Amsterdam; and was
signed: P. Stuyvesant, Nicasius de Sille, C. van Werckhoven, La Montagne, Cor. van
Thienhoven.